Is the 2004 Acura TL a bad year?
550 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other TL years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2004 Acura TL are in line with other TL years. Body structure and air bags stand out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2004 TL owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 90,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body structureSTANDS OUT | 231 (42%) | 66k–110k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 198 (36%) | 76k–120k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 56 (10%) | 63k–135k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Suspension | 30 (5%) | 44k–150k miles · around this mileage | Ball joint replacement (one joint) $200–$500 · Control arm replacement (one arm) $200–$900 |
| Electrical system | 11 (2%) | 51k–153k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Engine | 10 (2%) | 57k–138k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Speed control | 5 (1%) | 21k–104k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Steering | 34 (6%) | 102k–174k miles · ahead | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| TiresSTANDS OUT | 51 (9%) | 4k–17k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Brakes | 16 (3%) | 34k–85k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 20 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 10 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seats | 9 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Stability control | 9 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 90,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 550 complaints: 13 mention a crash · 6 mention a fire · 9 report an injury · 6 say the car was towed.
No complaints in the last 12 months; the newest was filed in Jul 2024.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
Sudden loss of power to the wheels while driving. When I pressed on the accelerator the engine rpms would increase but the car would not move forward or speed up.
As I was driving on interstate 8 west bound on cruise control about 65MPH. I get a smell of oil burning, as I look at my dash I see the RPM at 4K.
Bought used on 1/1 /2018,drove fine for about 10 minutes and then it felt like car went into neutral and car wouldn't move.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 90,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2004 Acura TL: 6
The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Aftermarket front suspension lower ball joints, napa part no. 2601662, that may have been mistakenly installed in certain model year 2004 - 2008 Acura tl vehicles due to a mistake in a napa and napa dealers' parts application catalogue. Misapplication of this part could lead to separation of the ball joint from the lower control arm and collapse of the front suspension, which could potentially cause a vehicle crash.
If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing. This could cause a failure of the electrical circuit breaker inside the motor housing. If the circuit breaker fails, it will cause the windshield wiper motor to become inoperative, which can increase the likelihood of a crash in certain conditions.
Prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid. Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire.
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage. Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Acura: 18
Repair instructions Acura sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2004 Acura TL. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is on, with DTC P2138 (Accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation)…
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) on with the DTC P2138 (Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor A/B Incorrect Voltage Correlation) stored and poor engine performance
Some vehicles may display a malfunction indicator lamp with the stored DTC P2138 (Accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation)
Due to accelerator pedal position sensor a/b incorrect voltage correlation, engine poor performance and malfunction indicator lamp…
NHTSA defect investigations: 1
Windshield wiper motor failure
Neighbouring years
2003 TL: 391 complaints, consider selling · 2005 TL: 388 complaints, keep it.
Every Acura TL year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · All TL years side by side
Other Acura models: Acura CL · Acura ILX · Acura Integra · Acura MDX · Acura RDX · Acura RL · Acura RSX · Acura TLX · Acura TSX. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2004 Acura TL a bad year?
550 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other TL years. At 90,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Acura TL?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: body structure (231), air bags (198), transmission and drivetrain (56), suspension (30), electrical system (11).
How many recalls does the 2004 Acura TL have?
6 recall campaigns list this model year: Speed control (NHTSA 19E068000), Air bags (NHTSA 19V-182), Suspension (NHTSA 11E022000), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 08V-092) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.